Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) in Ash, North Carolina USA by Dick Daniels

Good morning, beloved!

As our household over here wakes up and begins to make their smoothies for the morning, their movements and their chatter are water to my thirsty soul. I have much staring me in the face today that threatens to overwhelm me and I find myself sitting here staring at this little blue jay. Luke asked to see a blue jay up close. So, for him, we all enjoy a picture of a blue jay.

My thoughts this morning are very jumbled and very disorganized. And as I dive into studying God‘s word this morning, I am praying for the Holy Spirit to guide me out of the mire of feelings. They are feelings. Not truth, emotions that cannot, at times, be trusted. So when I am looking at such a critical issue that I have wrestled with on occasion, I can’t help but wonder. What will change as a result of the Word? How will I grow in His Spirit today?

Matthew 6: ¹⁶ And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and sour and dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to andseen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full already.

¹⁷ But when you fast, perfume your head and wash your face,

¹⁸ So that your fasting may not be noticed by men but by your Father, Who sees in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open.

Principles of fasting:

1. Do not be as the hypocrites
2. Perfume your head
3. Wash your face
4. Do not be noticed by anyone but your Father
5. In secret
6. God will reward you in the open.

Isaiah 58 is the key chapter here. So lets pick this apart…

³ Why have we fasted, they say, and You do not see it? Why have we afflicted ourselves, and You take no knowledge [of it]? Behold [O Israel], on the day of your fast [when you should be grieving for your sins], you find profit in your business, and [instead of stopping all work, as the law implies you and your workmen should do] you extort from your hired servants a full amount of labor.

⁴ [The facts are that] you fast only for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high.

⁵ Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?

⁶ [Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?

⁷ Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?

⁸ Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

⁹ Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust,and wicked speaking,

¹⁰ And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity andgloom become like the noonday.

¹¹ And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.

¹² And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

Their motives to fast: In verses 3-5, the Lord does not approve, does He? They are fasting yet God has ignored this sacrifice they have made, because they aren’t making any sacrifice.

• No grief for sins
• Businesses stay open
• Forcing their slave labor to work
• All which are disobeying God’s law
• They have strife, debate and problems..the fast is mechanical, not
• Humble! They have not humbleness..their heart’s condition is pride

God’s choice for a fast (v 6-7)

• loose the bonds of wickedness
• Undo the bands of yoke
• Let the oppressed go free
• Divide the food with the hungry
• Bring the homeless into the house
• Naked are covered
• Take care of the needs of your family

What will happen if their hearts turn in the fast:

• Your light shall break forth!
• your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily
• your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity
• the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
• you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am.
• the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones.
• you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.
• your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt
• you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations

Friends, I need to get my day moving, but what would it take for you to humble yourself such as these verses contain?

Pray on, beloved. Pray on.